Rock Aqua Jays performing a five-high pyramid

The Rock Aqua Jays Water Ski Show Team is an amateur water ski club in Janesville, Wisconsin. The club participates in show skiing, which involves water ski acts that are choreographed to music and built around a theme that tells a story. The Rock Aqua Jays has about 150 members.

History

The Rock Aqua Jays ski club was formed in 1960.[1] That same year it was one of four founding member groups of the Wisconsin Water Ski Federation. In 1961, the club assumed the name "Rock Aqua Jays".[1] The club practices on the Rock River at Traxler Park in Janesville, where they hold twice weekly shows between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The Rock Aqua Jays initiated the first national tournament of the National Show Ski Association, the Show Ski National Championships, which were held in August, 1975.[2] They have hosted the national tournament in Janesville 26 of the 39 times it has been held. In 2012 they hosted the first ever World Water Ski Show Tournament.[3][1][4]

The club was the first amateur team to build the three-high pyramid (1974), the four-high pyramid (1981), and the five-high pyramid (1993).[4][1][5] They hold the record for the largest pyramid in competition: 44 people (2003).[1] They were the first amateur American ski team to perform in the People's Republic of China, in 1999.[1][6] In 2012, in collaboration with the Chinese Water Ski Team, the Aqua Jays set a Guinness World Record for the number of humans to water ski in a pyramid: 55.[7] They have won the national show ski tournament a record 19 times, and placed second in the event 12 times. The Aqua Jays have also won the Wisconsin State Show Tournament a record 15 times. They have taken the triple crown of show skiing 11 times,[1] and were named the National Show Ski Association Team of the Year 6 times.[8]

Honors and awards

Sources: [9][10][1][11]

Rock Aqua Jays' 44-person pyramid

2014

  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament[12]
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament[13]
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament[14]

2013

  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2012

  • National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2011

  • National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2010

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2009

  • 2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2008

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

2007

  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2006

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2005

  • National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2004

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament

2003

  • National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2002

  • National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 2nd - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2001

  • 2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

2000

  • 2nd - Wisconsin State Show Tournament

1999

  • National Show Ski Association Team of the Year
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 2nd - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

1998

  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

1997

  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

1996

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Mercury Invitational Show Tournament

1995

  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1994

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1993

  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1992

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1991

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1990

  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1989

  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1988

  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1987

  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1986

  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament

1985

  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1984

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1983

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1982

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1981

  • Triple Crown:
  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament
  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

1980

  • 1st - Wisconsin State Show Tournament
  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1979

  • 1st - U.S. National Show Tournament

1977

  • 2nd - U.S. National Show Tournament

1975

  • 1st - Lamb's Farm Invitational Tournament

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rock Aqua Jays History
  2. ↑ USA WaterSki. "National Show Ski Association: A Brief History of Show Skiing". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Waterskiers flock to Janesville for World Water Ski Show Tournament", Channel3000.com. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Karla Nagy, "Janesville’s Rock Aqua Jays Host World Tournament", Northwest Quarterly, Summer 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Amateur water-ski team hits new heights", The Milwaukee Journal, August 23, 1993. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  6. ↑ Lisa Schmelz."Walking on Water" Archived 2010-06-16 at the Wayback Machine, At the Lake Magazine, Summer 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Two Ski Broncs visit China to help set world record", Rockford Register Star, January 29, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  8. ↑ USA WaterSki. "National Show Ski Association Team of the Year". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  9. ↑ USA WaterSki. "Tournament Results: D1 Nationals (1975-2012)". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Honors and Awards". Rock Aqua Jays. Archived from the original on 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
  11. ↑ Wisconsin Water Ski Federation. "Wisconsin State Water Ski Show Tournament History" Archived 2013-05-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  12. ↑ USA Water Ski. "Rock Aqua Jays Win Show Ski Nationals".
  13. ↑ Mark Massoglia. "Aqua Skiers grab second place in Division". Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, July 20, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  14. ↑ USA Water Ski. "Rock Aqua Jays Win 2014 Mercury Open".
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